The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-06-10
OLD SOuTHERNISMS.
Quaint Sayings in south Carolina

Quaint Sayings in South Carolina.
Some years ego Richard Grant White
TE-ta a delightfully."- interesting book
o. Americanisms. He might well have
divided the subject into two parts
YankeeisuR and Southernisms.
Absolute correctness III pronuncia-
tiou or IN the formation Of sentences Is
a most difficult accomplishment. and
few there be, either North or South,
who have reached such n degree of
perfection that no exceptions can be
taken by carping critics to their ut
terances.
In the matter of pronunciation the
times are changing, and one can scarcely
keep pace with the innovations being
introduced by the leading orthOepists.
The purpose of this paper Is, how
ever, to present, IN a succinct way, q
few of the qugintDesses of pronuncia-
tlon and construction held to by the
Southern people as a class.
Among these the first that comes to
mind Is the custom of emitting the
last two letters of such words as more"
"stOre," four" - which are pro-
nounced "mo," % sto, "and 10"
"What O'Clock is it ?' you ask the
Carolinian, and ten to one he tells you
it is 'half-pas' 70, " if that happens to
be the hour.
Another common Southernism is the
use of like as if, or like" for the
words '.as it, ="
- She looked like she knew me" is q
common expression, or, "she looked
like as if she'd die" This is very com
mon in Washington, and in all the
States South of Mason and Dixon's
line.
The word funny" is frequently used
instead Of strange, and sometimes with
startling effect.
= young Southern girl was visiting
rs once, and a caller was telling Of the
death of her mother through swallow
ing tishJone.
"Ohl wasn't it funny?" exclaimed
our visitor, at the close of the nara
tive.
81 think you mean strange" said
the caller, as soon Us she recovered
from the astoni=hment. Our girl
friend has never used the word funny"
since.
Ifyou happen to tohearanybodys say ''rye
cheer" you may know It Is intended to
mean night here" For instauca:
\ South Carolin:an viii SAY, - Where
was he at last nigAt?" and his fellow
citizen viii say, He staid rye cheer
with me"
Djear-pronounced in one syllable
is Eot Russian word, as might be sup
posed 1t means do you heaIE" and
Is usually addressed to servants IN this
form: . IOu Jim! Bring in that wood,
diear:"
''To get to go" is essentially q Geor-
gia expression. They say:
Do don't fail TO como tonight"
and the reply is: I've tried TO get 70
go three weeks now, SO I reckon I'll be
there t'night."
The expression "Do don't" is heard
in Georgia and South Carolina, but
rarely elsewhere.
One of the most laughable things you
ever heard j. The peculiar pronuncia-
ton of the word - about" 1t 10 iIul5os-
sible TO express The South Carolin; ;an''
pronunciation phoneticallv. 1t 1nds
like pronounced very quickly
in three syuaGles.
"Quare," for queer" is another
word. The use of . reckon" for q pre-
sumo" Is SAID to have been derived
from the : Eankees, as was the express
sion right smart for the word
much"
In imitation of the English, perhaps,
- t--N q - va "a ---El 1 fE .li 10 All
l have II, and the general use Of the
word "got where il is quite unneces-
sary.
Also English is the use Of obliged"
as I'm obliged to DO IT," for :. must
do it, g he is obliged to go" for he
must 60"
Ambiguity of expression is too prev
alent IN Dixie. and too many people
sacrifice sense for sound
Low-country people and the residents
OF middle South Carolina say gee
arden" for garden" "gee-yard for
''guard," " with the hard sound of 4" G."
So, too, with such words as card"
Hcar," and 4" cart, " into which is intro
duced the sound of "kee," 10 take the
place of the first consonant, thus: .'Kee-
ard, 'kee-ar," kee-agt'
The use OF delightful for delicious in
such a sentence as: The ice cream Is
delightful, " is very common.
:" Pretty" IS a word very often mis-
used, for Instance: Isn't this pretty
day y?"-and this error is very general
one.
North Carolinians say the scenery is
pretty y'-meaning picturesque the
day Is 'pretty"-n Gaming fine, and that
a persons manners are 'pretty"-mean-
ing well bred.
tYou all" or, rs it should be abbre-
waited ''y'u, Is one of the most ridic-
ulous of all the Southernisms can call
to mind. 1t usually means two or more
persons, hut Is sometimes used when
only one person Is meant.
Esr instance, caller, on taking her
dei'sTtuTe, says: VII must come TO see
us" She means the lady upon whom
she Is calling and her husband may
call Dixie.